Switch contact structure



Aug. 28, 1934. G. PAILIN 1,971,830

v SWITCH CONTAQT STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 19, 1929 Inyentorf: l I Geef/ge FaLlLn, )Q9 uw His Attorneg.

Patented ug. 2'8, 1934 Y UNITED rias SWITCH coN'rAo'r STRUCTURE George Pail'in,A Manchester, England, assignor `to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York' pplcation October' 19,- 1929, Serial No. 400,987 Y In! Great. Britain January 9,1 192,9 f

lo' In ay switchl cori-tact structure'of the'-r plugv and socket type', it is extremely difcult to obtain and maintain a uniformi` pressure between the segments or contacting' surface of the plug and its coacting Socket to make "good`- electrical con- .it tact,A and ,it is an object of my invention to provide simple' and eiiicient means for ensuring such uniform pressure and for exerting suiiicient pressure between the plug and socket to effect good electrical contact when the switch is in the closed circuit position.

A further object of my invention is the provision of plug and socket connections wherein the plug member has incorporated thereinV means for effecting an expansive actionon the contacting end of the plug for increasing or regulating the contact pressure between the plug and its coacting socket in the closed circuit position.

My invention will be more fully set rforth in the following description referring to the accompanying drawing, and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Referring tothe accompanying drawing; Fig. 1 is an elevational sectional View showing a switch of the plug and socket type constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig.V 2 is a sectional plan view taken along the line A-B of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 are elevational sectional views illustrating `a modified form of my invention with the parts in different positions.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the plug member 1 forming one contact of theswitch is split or divided at its operative or contacting end, as illustrated, into a number of segments 2, and is adapted to enter within the coacting socket member 3 forming the other contact to make electrical connection therewith. The'slits formor directed towards one another, one of the conesL 4 being fixed upon a rod or stem 6 and the other cone 5 being slidably mounted thereon. y

movable cone 5 is normally .biased by resilient means, as the spring l7 disposed around the stem Yreleasing position of the cone v5.

Within the contacting endV The v 6;A so that it isurgedtowards the fixed cone 4'. The other end off therspring is adapted to seat upon a stationary support' at the opposite' end oi? the' plug. Y A V The annular'space between the surfaces of the` 60 cones 4 and? 5'- andthe internal; surface of ther plug'segments2'is1lled in withl suitable pressuretransmitting material asthe balls' 81.- The tensiontr ofthe spring 'lf may be adjusted`v to-'sui't the particularcperating requirements;`

Ywill be apparent that the spring '7-y which normally biases the cone 5 and the pressuretransmitting material so as to exert an expansive or radial pressure withinthe contacting end of the plug is effective to maintain a uniform con- 7Bf tact pressure between the plug and its coacting socket in the closed circuit position, and that this pressure may be Varied by simply varying the tension ofthe spring 7. Y

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, there is illustrated a modified form of my invention wherein the pressure, instead ofV being applied permanently to the plug segments, may be varied orA removed altogether. To this end the hand wheel 9 is provided with a screw threaded shaft 10 'which engages at its free end the plunger or equivalent element 11,Y in turn bearing upon a cross key 12. The key 12 Vis transversely mounted with respect to the lower end of stem 6 and extends through elongated Vslots 12a therein so that it is capable of longitudinal movement along said stem. The key 12 is also provided with a collaror the like, 13, upon which the lower end of the spring '7 seats. v Y

With this arrangement the pressure `uponV the plug segments may be released when the plug is to be withdrawn from or inserted in thef socket by rotating theV handwheel 9 in such direction that the tension von spring 7 is released,as illustrated in Fig. 4, and applied by rotating the handwheel in the opposite direction when the plug isrwithin'the socket, as illustrated in'Fig. 3.

Asillustrated in Fig. 4, the fixed cone 4 serves asV a guide for the movable c one 5, and the same have their abutting edges spaced in the pressure It Yshall be` understood that my invention is not limited to the specific construction herein illustrated, and by way of example more than one pairv of con'es may be longitudinally arranged within a single plug member if desired, and the means for biasing the movable-cone may be varied tofsuit the particular requirements without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A Contact structure of the plug and socket type comprising a socket member, a coacting hollow plug member, a pair of cone-like elements mounted within the contacting end of saidplug, said elements being disposed with their apices adjacent eachother, pressure-transmitting material disposed between the surfaces of 'said ele-y ments and the inner surface of said plug member, and resilient means for biasing one of said elements towards the other to effect a wedging action on said pressure-transmitting material whereby that end of the plug is expanded into good contacting engagement with its coacting socket member.

2. A contact structure of the plugi and socket type comprising a socket member, a hollow plug member, a pair of cone-like elements mounted Within the contactingv end of said plug in inverted relation with respect to each other, a plurality of balls disposed in and filling thevannular yspace between said elements and the inner surface of the plug, a guide member on which one of said elements is slidably mounted, and a spring disposed about said guide member and bearing against the aforesaid slidable element, thev tension of said spring being effective toV transmitv pressure by way of said slidable element and balls to expand said plug, thereby ensuring good electrical contact between the plug and socket members. p

3. A disconnecting switch contact structure comprising relatively movable plug and socket members, means for maintaining a uniform contact pressure between said members in the closed circuit position, comprising pressure-transmitting Vmeans `wholly contained within said plug member for applying a radial expansive pressure to the contacting end of the plug member, resilient biasing means for exerting a uniform pressure on the aforesaid means, and means adjustable in the closed circuit and operative position of said contact structure for varying the bias of said resilient means when said plug and socket members are to be separated.

4. A disconnecting switch contact structure comprising a socket and a hollow plug member coacting therewith, means for varying the contact pressure between the plug and socket, comprising a pair of coacting wedging members Wholly disposed Within said plug and relatively movable for applying a radial vexpansive pressure to the contacting end ofthe plug member, resiliently biased means adapted yto exert pressure on one of said Wedging members, and means adjustable for decreasing vthe bias on the aforesaid means when the plug member is to be removed from its coacting socket, and for increasing the' bias when the plug and socket are in operative engagement with each other.

.GEORGE PAILIN.

3 vuso 

